No pattern or reason for this particular order of photos from the weekend... just nice to have everyone around. We skyped with the NC contingent, and got to hear about Hannah's early birthday party with friends and a butterfly piñata。
Cousins Miles and Owen climbing the jungle gym at the nearby church.
Owen looking up at his brother.
Ethan, relaxing on top of the jungle gym.
Westy turning on the charm despite teeth coming in and causing pain.
A couple of ding-dongs attempting to ring the church bell.
Miles sunning himself on a big rock near the church (no sun, but you get the idea).
Miles and Owen hog-piling on Angie.
E & O playing in the sun room this morning.
Charlie cooked brats and chicken on the grill for supper last night. Tanner got the table ready. Angie and Annie contributed a fruit salad and a southwest pasta salad, and Annie baked Grandma Doodie's Brownie Cake for dessert.
Not sure if this is the reaction to dessert or if they're all doing pre-scandal Arnold Scwarzeneggar imitations.
The big kids said dinner was in belated honor of my birthday, but with all that is going on in their lives, I think the best reason was to be together and have a good time. Thanks, everyone. Now on to a busy week.
The annual recognition and retirement dinner at Gustavus was held last evening in Alumni Hall. Listening to the intros of faculty who are retiring is always a lesson in the history of Gustavus, since some of the retirees have been teaching there for 40 or more years. Nice to see friends and colleagues we haven't seen for a while, too. E, C, and A: I talked to Marilyn Robertz (VA Barnes' daughter), who told me she is now the age Virginia was when she moved out of her house (83). Marilyn's eyes are fine, by the way.
The college also recognizes years of service for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years. A couple of weeks ago, I happened to notice on the list that came via email of those being recognized that I was in the 10 years of service group. Hmmm... I started in the Education Department in the fall of 1999, and that makes it 12 years, not 10, but who's counting? I just figured I wasn't on the list two years ago because of my "not-a-real-faculty-member" status. But now, at 12 years, when I'm an adjunct, I'm caught up. Annie wondered which two years don't count. Ha ha!
Over the years, Dad/Paco has gotten gifts to acknowledge his years or work at Gustavus, most recently the retirement rocking chair, and before that a beautiful Orrefors vase, and before that a watch with the Gustavus seal on its face. For my 10 + 2years, I thought I was going to get a paperweight with the Gustavus seal on it, but this year the gift is a lovely leather folder, pictured below. Charlie has one, and I have coveted it (much as I coveted the bag described in my last blog entry), so now I have one of my own and who knows what I'll write in it!
Only one more week of student teacher supervision responsibility on the Gustavus part-time payroll. I'm going to stuff the folio into my Gustie bag and look the part!
I am now the proud owner of a Gustavus Educators tote bag! In February, I saw the bag being used by one of my student teachers. Immediately feeling covetous, I asked her where she got it and were there any left? She explained that the Student Educators Association had taken orders for the bags in the fall to promote visibility of education majors, much as they'd done with tee shirt sales in the past. It was all I could do not to grab her bag and run, figuring I'd missed my chance.
Being a person who understands the desperate need some people (myself included) have to possess the perfect tote bag, the perfect purse, the perfect bag of any kind, Rachel got in touch with the SEA officers and asked if they'd be taking orders again for the tote, since the crazy person supervising her student teaching experience really, really, really wanted one. Guess what? Out of concern for Rachel passing student teaching, they decided to order bags again, and as of 10:00 today, I HAVE MY OWN!! Tomorrow is my last observation of a student teacher, so at least it will get one school visit before I'm done. I love it!
In an effort to procrastinate on the work I have to do reading a student teaching portfolio, here are some events from today that aren't of interest to anyone but me. And I'm not all that interested.
1. I renewed my driver's license today. Not a monumental event, but one that points out the passage of time. I can hardly wait to get my new license in a few weeks to enjoy the mug-shot photo that is a reminder that it will be five years before I can try for a better pose. Oh, and it only cost $24.00. I thought it would be twice that.
2. A trip to Wal-Mart this afternoon may force a decision to avoid the place forever. No, I didn't have trouble finding a parking place or locating the items on my list. I deliberately chose Wal-Mart because I had a few groceries to get and some miscellaneous stuff that I would normally have shopped for at Target. I knew Wal-Mart would have everything I was looking for, so I went there to make the trip shorter and more efficient. So all of that sounds like a good reason to go to Wal-Mart, and it would be if it weren't for their newest combination of advertising and technology. In nearly every aisle in the grocery side of the store there is a small flat-screen display that plays videos of commercials created just for in-store viewing. Apparently they've been around for a while, but just recently were added to the Mankato store. This is the pinnacle of loud and annoying shopping, let me tell you! When I checked out, I brought up the "concept" with the clerk and asked her to pass along my negative view of the in-store video commercials to the manager. I mute the tv when commercials come on at home...I can't imagine standing in a grocery store aisle and watching one!
3. Update on iced coffee beverages at McD's: In desperate need of caffeine on my way home from Mankato today, I took a chance on a nonfat iced latte by going through the McDonald's drive-through. Surprise of surprises, the order was right and the price was right. I was almost ready to pronounce my purchase a success when the woman at the window handed it to me-- 3/4 full. What?? I looked at her, looked at the cup, told her it didn't look full to me, and then left. Not worth the effort. I wonder if they cut cheeseburgers in half before wrapping them and putting them in the bag.
4. Karl the landscape guy who is redoing the rock, trim, and bushes around our house has been here on and off today with a little buddy, getting the show on the road. At long last we're replacing several plantings that are either overgrown from age, or suffer from stunted growth.
5. I didn't get to watch Dancing With the Stars last night because I had my book group meeting. I've been a faithful watcher this season. Why, I'm not sure. I never know who more than two of the celebrities are--just like reading People magazine. Who are those "stars" anyway, and why are they dancing?!
It was a great Mom's Day on Sunday for this mom. Lots of kids and their kids swooped in for a long weekend so little cousins, (almost all) their parents, and grandparents could have fun together. We missed you, Evan! Nearly 400 photos were taken between Friday evening and late Sunday afternoon, making it nearly impossible to choose what to share here. I decided to hit a few highlights, like Weston and Vivian talking about what it's like to be babies in a growing family.
Of course it isn't a cousin weekend without a wild and blurry toga party
with crazy dancing...
and reading great literature.
This visited included some new activities, too.
Here are the night riders, Tanner and Hannah.
Hannah and Miles got interested in reading the newspaper. "We want to learn," was their reasoning for taking the paper apart and checking out the news.
Balloon tossing was a big hit.
Elisabeth and Annie perfected baby-tipping...
and tootsie-scrambling.
We celebrated Ethan and Owen's 2nd birthdays by wearing
frosting mustaches and goatees in a tribute to Uncle Evan.
And we previewed Hannah's 4th birthday (can it be true?!)
by eating everyone's initials in the form of sugar cookies.
Miles' half-birthday is this month, too. Vivian and Westy,
thanks for letting the bigger kids get some attention.
Getting all the cousins in one room, in a good mood, vertical, and plunked down on the same piece of furniture at the same time is a challenge, but the result is always adorable.
On a selfish note, I had lots of play time and 'nuggle time with the biggest pair of cousins, the toddler cousins, and the littlest cousins, including this warm and cuddly moment with two sleeping babies. A perfect Mother's Day!
A few years ago on the first of May, I asked my methods students if they had May Day memories from childhood, and asked them to write what they remembered. Most of them had made and delivered May baskets filled with candy to close friends, but some had never heard of the tradition. Here's what I wrote about my own May Basket Day memories. What do YOU remember?
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May Basket Day is also my brother Mark's birthday. When I was a kid I thought it was the coolest thing for him to have a birthday on that day. After his party we’d go to the houses of all of our friends in the neighborhood and deliver homemade May baskets. We made something different every year; origami boxes or baskets, paper cones with paper-strip handles glued on (stapled on in later years to improve efficiency and strength of construction), fancy woven baskets—no matter the type, they were always made from construction paper. Sometimes we’d glue on flowers made from scraps of pink or yellow or blue construction paper, adding green leaves and stems. We picked out our favorite penny candy to fill the baskets—Tootsie Rolls, root beer barrels, and Smarties.
Mom wanted to add popcorn to stretch the candy enough to fill the additional baskets we invariably had to make for not-so-close friends who delivered May baskets to us but that we had not planned for, but my brother and I protested loudly. “Popcorn? Mom! No one wants to eat popcorn! They want the good stuff!” She gave in to our whining, but a few years later when my younger sister and brother-number-two were old enough to participate in the fun, popcorn became a regular addition. Four kids x bunches of May baskets = an expensive proposition.
After filling the May baskets with treats, we'd write the name of the intended recipient on the handle, or on a special note tucked inside our works of art.
Next came the fun. We began our rounds by delivering May baskets to elderly neighbors in the normal fashion-- walking up to the front door, ringing the bell, and cheerily handing the basket of treats to Hilda, our lefse-making neighbor, or to Mrs. Brinn, whose blue hair fascinated us (How did she get so lucky to have hair that color?). These lovely ladies gave us warm hugs and grateful thanks. Our duty done, we giggled in excitement and plotted how we would sneak up on the homes of our friends, stealthily leave the basket on the steps or the front porch while simultaneously ringing the doorbell, and then race off to a hiding place in the bushes. We’d stifle our giggles when friends Merry or Cindy or Robert would come to the door, look around, and grab the candy-filled container. Of course, we weren’t always quiet enough, so sometimes we were discovered in the bushes and a chase ensued until one of us was caught—and sometimes kissed—by a swift friend. The dreaded kisses! Who started that custom, anyway?!
Daylight savings time didn’t kick in until the end of May when I was in elementary school, so our deliveries had to be timed so they were completed before dark. As soon as we got home, we dived into the goodies waiting for us in the May baskets left on our own front steps while we were out making deliveries. My brother and I critiqued the contents, throwing away the loathed popcorn filler other frugal parents insisted on including. If there were any of those gruesome orange candies shaped like gigantic peanuts, out they went, too. Satisfied with our haul, we lined up our May baskets down the middle of the dining room table to admire and to linger over until Dad or Mom sent us off to bed.
